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Yet the good ol’ movie house, that 20th century institution, is changing before our eyes (and noses), adapting to our digital, connected world, to better compete for our entertainment dollar against an ever-growing range of options.

Here are 10 ways we can expect the movie experience to grow in the not-at-all-distant future:

1. Premium Experience: A family night out at the movies is already getting pricey, and there’s a chance that trend will only worsen. Some industry experts, George Lucas among them, predict that more theatres will become an entirely upscale experience, reserved for blockbusters — which demand the biggest screen, sound and audience response — with most other smaller movies being released online. As a result, a movie ticket will become more expensive, and a rarer experience, like to going to a concert.

2. Premium Tickets: In a move that combines the theatregoing and home experience, distributors are experimenting with giving moviegoers a theatre ticket as well as a pre-ordered HD copy of the film for home viewing. Some U.S. viewers of World War Z ponied up for a $50 “Mega Ticket,” paying to see the film two days before release and reserving their own copy when it comes out on video. (For the price they also got a pair of “collector’s” 3D glasses, a poster and a small popcorn.) It was a one-off promotion by Paramount that was only used in five theatres. In Canada, Cineplex just announced its Superticket, which is more wide reaching and will be available for many movies, with next week’s action title Pacific Rim being the first. Moviegoers will get a download code for Cineplex’s online service, which will give home access to the film before the DVD is even released.

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3. Assigned Seating: This is already common in parts of Europe and elsewhere where the moviegoing tradition is a more direct descendent of the live theatre experience. Cineplex already offers this for its premium services including 3D, Imax or UltraAVX screenings. With online sales of advanced tickets, it is likely only a matter of time before it becomes the norm at screenings.

4. Drinking: You may have heard stories of the Alamo Drafthouse chain, and the raucous environment where you can pick your seats and drink while watching. In Canada, there are smaller VIP theatres which offer bigger seats and wait service, many of which are licensed. Cineplex is adding more VIP theatres at the Queensway and is currently building an all-VIP complex at the Shops at Don Mills.

5. Same-day release: This is the one that exhibitors won’t like the sound of, but many film executives have talked about simultaneous theatre and home-viewing, similar to making a premiere a pay-per-view event. Studios have started experimenting with simultaneous release in Asia to combat movie piracy. And in 2012, hockey comedy Goon got a theatrical run in Canada, but in the U.S. it was released on video-on-demand and in theatres at the same time. That was a niche film, it’s true, but with home technology consistently improving — including 4K, the newest generation of big HD televisions — consumers who own an expensive 75-inch (or larger) screen will want first run releases. Partly to protect theatres on the all-important opening weekend, this privilege will come at a high cost.

6: 4D is better than 3D by a whole D: Such gimmickry may smack of Smell-o-Vision (we’ll get to that), but just in case the movie on screen doesn’t move you enough, your chair can take care of that. D-box is a Quebec-based company that has pioneered seats with motion effects, or MFX, taking you for what feels like a ride, corresponding with the action onscreen. It is available for a premium price, and is choreographed to move in synch with action movies, including current titles Man of Steel and The Lone Ranger.

As for Smell-o-Vision, the 1960s-era invention has long been a punchline as a poor attempt at movie immersion. But Japanese researchers have been working on a new and improved version, with a “smelling screen” TV recently displayed at an Orlando conference, and reports from 2011 that Samsung researchers were working on a chip that could make up to 1,000 different aromas. We will believe it when we smell it.

7. Virtual moviegoing: Theatre operators believe that the social experience of seeing a movie with a crowd is one of the draws, but of course, humanity is an uncontrollable factor that can easily ruin another person’s enjoyment of a film. But it may possible to be surrounded by other people, without having to deal with their annoying laughs or constant texting, in a virtual seating experience, where you can watch movies with people who aren’t in the same physical location. Xbox Live has experimented with a rudimentary version of this idea, where your avatars meet up in a theatre.

8. What about 3D?: A 3D movie that doesn’t require glasses remains the ultimate goal, although we have a feeling younger kids who have been trained by all the recent 3D animated blockbusters don’t have the same hangups about the glasses as their elders. Technology wise, Sony already has a Personal 3D Viewer headset device, but that’s only for one person to use at a time. Another possibility is some form of “3D Cave” technology. This is basically a room with screens on all sides, providing 360 degrees of immersion. Yes, we’re getting closer to living on the Star Trek Holodeck.

9. Wearable computing: If you think exhortations to turn off your mobile devices are annoying now, wait until theatres have to deal with patrons showing up with their Google Glasses. The much heralded computerized eyewear’s killer feature is taking photos and first-person video, so it looms large as a piracy threat. In all the reviews, what hasn’t been said is how good they work as consumption devices, and whether the viewing experience will be worthwhile.

10. Gamifying the movies: “We’re never going to be totally immersive as long as we’re looking at a square, whether it’s a movie screen or whether it’s a computer screen. We’ve got to get rid of that and put the player inside the experience, where no matter where you look you’re surrounded by a three-dimensional experience. That’s the future.” That’s what Steven Spielberg recently told the New York Times about how he foresees the future of movies, the idea and having more interaction between the viewer and the film. Everyone’s phone can be the controller, opening the door to a choose-your-own adventure type of movie experience. As for Spielberg, he recently signed on to help create a Halo series for the new Xbox One console, which could signify a time when the line blurs between movies and games.

And if you think Spielberg’s ideas are far-fetched, check out what George Lucas thinks is coming: “The next step is to be able to control your dreams,” he said. “You’ll just tap into a different part of your brain. You’re just going to put a hat on or plug into the computer and create your own world . . . We’ll be able to do the dream thing 10, 15 years from now. It’s not some pie-in-the-sky thing.”

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